"Our Best Merlots "

Merlot is the red-wine success of the
199Os; its popularity has soared along with its acreage
(which more than doubled in California in the first four
years of the '9Os.)

...California Wine, by James Laube

Top Merlots (Tasted Blind)

Here are the dozen bottles that taste best now.

Bargains

Clos Du Val President & Winemaker,
Bernard Portet

2nd

-

$11, '97 Robert Mondavi Coastal

Top

-

$12 ,
'95 Hahn Winery (pictured)

The Best

10th

-

Charles Krug Reserve, '94,
$21.5O

9th

-

St. Clement, '95, $24

8th

-

Gundlach-Bundschu, '95, $21

7th

-

Alderbrook,
'95, $18 (pictured)

6th

-

Raymond Reserve, '95, $2O

5th

-

Clos
du Val, '95, $28 (pictured)

4th

-

Matanzas Creek, '95, $45 (Note
1)

3rd

-

Lockwood, '94, $24

2nd

-

Preston (Wash.), '94, $19

Winner

-

Clos Pegase, '96, $22.5O

Postscript

U.S.A. Merlots are in their infancy. There's not much data
yet on how well they will age. Consequently I advise my
students on tight budgets, buy now, drink now. If you want
to start aging some California reds, the Cabs are a much
safer bet.